Compleat Female Stage Beauty

by Jeffrey Hatcher

In 1661 the most famous portrayer of female roles on the London stage was a performer named "Kynaston." Like every other player permitted to enact such roles, Kynaston was a man. A celebrity artist shining bright at the crest of the Restoration Ned, or Mr. K as he's called, is applauded onstage and off for his interpretations of Shakespeare's tragic ladies: Ophelia, Cleopatra, especially his Desdemona and his famous "death scene". He s the toast of the town and the very secret "mistress" of the powerful Duke of Buckingham. But when an unknown named Margaret Hughes plays Desdemona one night at an illegal theater, instead of stopping the show, the ever-game King Charles II changes the law to allow women to act. By the stroke of a pen, Kynaston's world is turned upside-down. He loses his cachet, his livelihood, his lover and his sense of self. And as such women as the king's own courtesan Nell Gwynn, and Kynaston s former dresser Maria, become stars, his own light disappears until fate and his desire for revenge give him a chance to take the stage again.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, LGBT, Fiction

81 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Stronglysalty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
Glad I got to read this for my theatre class. This was honestly hilarious and so engaging. Would love to see a live performance of this.

[Ivy K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Mostly for my enjoyment factor. Also because this was a really interesting play to read with a retrospective lens and consideration of the fact that this play was first staged in 1999.

I read this play in two sittings, both while I was working at my job. I was pretty consistently engaged the entire time, and I think that this would be an excellent play to see live. Particularly because there was mention of double casting characters, which logistically and thematically would be very interesting to witness.

I loved the feistiness of the women in this play. I was very enthralled to read the passage in which Maria expresses her rage for Kynaston's death scene as Desdemona, saying in her iteration of the scene: "I fight him!" and "No woman would die like that!... A woman would fight!". It was such a relief to read this short monologue because I was starting to find the male characters' hyper-analyses of women from a kind of god-like and all-knowing perspective, a little (a lot) unbearable. Seeing the women in the play fight back against these stereotypes was very refreshing, especially considering the context of the play and the fact that during the 17th Century, women would not have had this level of agency.

On that note, it was very interesting to see Shakespearean language intertwined with modern English. Despite being set in London in the 1660s, there was a use of profanity from the present day which urged me to consider the importance of a play like this in 2023. I am considering the place that this play has with regards to gender politics and identities today.

Also, just learnt that Edward Kynaston and Samuel Pepys were real people. I just think that's really cool.

I don't really know how to rate plays, because I do think that they are something that should be experienced live. However, I love reading them, and this rating has kind of just come out of what I felt was 'right'. An interesting and thought-provoking read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt long but I have a feeling it will go quite fast. I have no sympathy for Kynaston so I kept being more aware of the development of the women.

[m · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for my playwriting class— I was engaged the whole time!! I would love to see this performed live!

[elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of an actor who specialized in female roles during the time women were not allowed to appear on the English stage. When women were allowed back into the acting profession, many men who had made a career playing women were no longer in demand, audiences wanted the "thrill" of seeing a woman playing the part of a woman. With no other apparent career options, the main character hits bottom before coming up with a new "role" for his talents. This is a complicated read, but when I saw it on stage it was magnificent and compelling. I would love to see this play in production again.

[Zeljka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good and exciting play, that I finished it under an hour. Every scene was so vivid and witty, and they all made sense to the whole. I wish only the story did something more with Maria. It is fine though because the focus of the play was on the acting itself and the love of doing it. There are no limits if there's a passion for it (and talent).

[Branden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful read, and I cannot wait to audition for it in the coming weeks. I will add a full review later.

[Gracie]

It was unexpected, but I enjoyed reading the story. I liked how the female was portrayed throughout the story!

[Kayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good insight into the liberation of actresses and the downfall of a female protrayer. Historical accuracy is a question, but this is a sight for comedy.